aggressor

noun

ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgre-sər How to pronounce aggressor (audio)
: one that commits or practices aggression

Examples of aggressor in a Sentence

Each country accused the other of being the aggressor. a group of smaller states had formed an alliance to deter potential aggressors
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The advisee may present herself as a supplicant but end up an aggressor, demanding and scornful. Merve Emre, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 But to foreign audiences, who knew little of domestic concerns, Seward’s message made Lincoln seem to be the aggressor—a terrible messaging strategy, in Sumner’s view. Zaakir Tameez june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025 The long-term solution for U.S. allies is to be able to deter aggressors with capabilities that are sovereign, ideally in the sense that they have been produced domestically but certainly in the sense that they can be deployed and operated without the concurrence of the United States. Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025 In peacetime, military forces working with NATO conduct training exercises across Eastern Europe and other places to help reassure allies about the strength of the military coalition – and to deter potential aggressors, like Russia. John Deni, The Conversation, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for aggressor

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "attacker, assailant," from aggredī, adgredī "to approach, attack" + -tor, agent suffix — more at aggress

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aggressor was in 1585

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aggressor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggressor. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

aggressor

noun
ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgres-ər How to pronounce aggressor (audio)
: a person or country that attacks without reasonable cause

Medical Definition

aggressor

noun
ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgres-ər How to pronounce aggressor (audio)
: one who exhibits aggression

More from Merriam-Webster on aggressor

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